Mark O'Beirne, ClickOnline.com

The opening bid for the cartridge came in at $4,999 US, but the price has been rising steadily since. It currently stands at $5,500.99, and this is expected to rise further before the auction closes on Jan. 25.

Only 116 copies of Nintendo World Championships were made as part of a special event that took place in 1990. The game features shortened versions of three classics - Super Mario, Tetris and Rad Racer. During the event, competitors were given six minutes to earn as many points as possible. The winner earned a trophy, a trip to Universal Studios and various other prizes.

Each of the 90 semi-finalists was also awarded a Nintendo World Championships game cartridge. This one has seen better days, however. The label has been ripped and someone wrote "Mario" on it in ballpoint pen. The seller explained, "This is quite unfortunate but happened many decades ago," before adding that the person didn't have 'a clue what they actually had."

Nintendo World Championships cartridges have previously fetched between $11,000 and $18,000 though this cartridge is likely to sell for less thanks to its condition. An important lesson to be learned here: take care of your things.